The Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar: How to Blend Your Intuition, Intellect, and Emotions to Achieve Guitar Mastery
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Want to learn proven strategies that will help you sharpen your fingerstyle- guitar skills, practice more effectively, and silence the inner critic that can sabotage your performances? Playing the guitar requires a blend of intuition, intellect, and emotion, and the path to excellence can be a confusing one. In The Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar, master guitarist and worldwide performer Adam Rafferty delivers the information you need to: Get rid of stage fright and perform well in any situationDevelop your own “voice” and touch on the instrument Find new performance opportunities Get out of a “guitar rut” Develop an effective practice routine Visualize and achieve your musical goals The strategies, real-life stories, and advice in this friendly, encouraging book will help you achieve true excellence in your guitar playing, as well as in life. Adam Rafferty plays onstage for thousands of people annually, performing at guitar festivals and concerts in over two-dozen countries. His YouTube guitar videos have gathered over twenty-million views. Jazziz Magazine hailed his solo-guitar CD “I Remember Michael” as one of its top-ten picks for 2011. Adam’s twenty-year apprenticeship with jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Mike Longo (of Dizzy Gillespie fame) brought him priceless musical knowledge, which Adam passes onto the reader in this, his first published book. Read more
Publisher : Crescent Ridge Publishing, LLC
Publication date : August 2, 2020
Language : English
Print length : 222 pages
ISBN-10 : 1734575506
ISBN-13 : 07
Item Weight : 9.1 ounces
Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.56 x 8 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,103,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #368 in Music Appreciation (Books) #1,062 in Jazz Music (Books) #1,154 in Guitars (Books)
#368 in Music Appreciation (Books):
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
The Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar by Adam Rafferty is an inspirational collection of practical advice on becoming not only a better fingerstyle guitarist, but a better musician and human being in general. This is NOT a method book with specific instructions and playing examples. It reads more like a non-fiction novel that you would read in your most comfy chair. The text is easy to read and flows well from topic to topic. Every section will provide you with ideas to improve your playing, organize your practice time, conquer your stage fright, connect with your audience, etc. I’d recommend this book for all skill levels, but especially for beginner and intermediate fingerstyle guitar players. Check out my in-depth YouTube video review ("Guitar Books Review #20: The Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar by Adam Rafferty" by Joe McMurray) in which I objectively go through the book section by section. You can also hear the full review on "Guitar Books the Podcast" - Review #20. For context, I’m a professional player, teacher, author, and recording artist. If you are looking for ways to motivate yourself or to get yourself over a musical plateau, this book would be a great investment of time and money. It is a great supplement to other instructional books, video lessons, and in-person lessons. Spend 5 or 10 minutes reading prior to your practice session, waiting at the doctor’s office, or while traveling. The book is organized into three parts: “Your Soul,” “Your Craft,” and “Your Listeners.” Part One: “Your Soul” contains lots of ideas that you might find in a general self-improvement book. Most of the advice is not specific only to becoming a better guitar player. Adam recommends playing music that really speaks to you, focusing on your strengths, and setting goals with specific plans to achieve them. Some of this may be a little “heady” for some readers with ideas of “musical truth” and allowing your subconscious mind to guide you towards achieving your goals. Even if that’s not your cup of tea, stick it out (you will likely find something useful) and you will be rewarded later in the book. In Part Two: “Your Craft,” Adam discusses how to actually improve as a musician. He goes over the stages of artistic development, the ten areas of musical study (concepts like “what to play” and “how to play”), how to practice effectively, and how to get out of a rut. This section of the book gives a great overview of what is actually involved in mastering your musical craft. In Part Three: “Your Listeners,” Adam shares some of what makes him so great as a musician and performer. He provides practical advice on finding gigs, dealing with stage fright, and satisfying your audiences. I love what he has to say about performing music that is both inspiring to you and entertaining for your audience. If you like what Adam has to say in this book, you should absolutely check out his recordings, his successful YouTube channel, his podcast (Fingerstyle Guitar Hangout with Adam Rafferty), and his online courses. He is incredibly talented at not only playing the guitar, but at arranging popular tunes for fingerstyle guitar. I personally learned so much from him through his courses and through an interview that I did with him around 5 years ago on Fret Buzz the Podcast. No guitar required while reading this book!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024 by Joe McMurray
Format: Kindle
In this book Adam essentially focuses on the fundamental principles of what makes a good musician and how to abide by these principles. Though his main area of expertise is the guitar, these principles generally apply to musicians of all types, and surely you will find more than just a few valuable pieces of information taken from his writing, regardless of whether you are a singer or a tuba player. As a guitarist and singer who has played many gigs, this book both put many of the thoughts I have had at one point or another into writing (such as his section about how to create a good setlist), while also providing me with direction for reaching the next level in my craft (such as his section on how to warm up before a gig). This book is stylistically similar to Zen and the Art of Mixing by Mixerman in terms of being more about the fundamental philosophies of what makes a good musician rather than reading like a dry textbook on how to do something. However, they are different in that that book is about what makes a good mixer, while this book is about what makes a good performer/songwriter. All in all, I think it was a very worthwhile read and I would definitely recommend it to other musicians who are looking to up their game.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2020 by Cameron Knopp
Format: Kindle
Having played guitar for a long time, none of this was totally new, but it certainly bears revisiting. No scales or harmonic analysis here - it's all "about" playing music, much of which is never explicitly taught or mentioned amidst everything else. For example, under the "ten areas of musical study", half ("what to play") are what you might expect - harmony, melody, rhythm, etc. But the other half ("how to play") - touch, time, tone, technique, and taste are ones that I have realized really make your sound what it is (for better or worse!). I also liked the sections on how to connect with the listener - so important, and because I am an amateur/semi-pro the section on getting gigs was helpful. I've never studied with Adam (although I have a taken a master class or two with him), but I think he does a great job here on focusing on what we all love about playing music and how to harness some of that magic. Recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2020 by James M. Kangas
Format: Kindle
Adam Rafferty has given guitarists (and musicians generaly) a real gift with this book. Neither a music theory book or a "tips and tricks" guide, Adam's book is really about many of the deepest questions and dilemmas musicians encounter when trying to find their voice and master their craft. Some of the chapters and accompanying exercises are so fundamental that they are things I never really stopped to think about. In one section he guides the reader through a series of questions to decipher the music that truly moves and motivates them ("Name a piece of music that made you cry") versus music you feel obligated to enjoy or play ("What music did your parents play growing up?". Through these exercises and personal anecdotes Adam is essentially guiding the reader to uncover their own unique musical identity and to find the motivation to be the best musician they can be. The book is basically the equivalent of having several in-depth private lessons or discussions with a master musician-- something that would easily run you hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I also enjoyed and appreciated the honest and vulnerability Adam displays throughout the book. Make no mistake: Adam is a world-class guitarist in multiple styles and settings-- with multiple albums, books and projects to his name. I first encountered him as an instructor at a summer guitar workshop for jazz guitarists nearly 20 years ago. Even then his technique and musicality were jaw-dropping.-- the kind of mastery that can be both inspiring and a bit intimidating to those of us just trying to find the "right notes." But in this book Adam pulls back on the curtain on the long, difficult journey that I suspect lies behind every great musician: embarrassing instances where he froze in the middle of a student recital, anxiety before going on stage, and -- perhaps most significantly-- his decision to put jazz to the side and begin playing fingerstyle guitar arrangements of other peoples' music ie. covers. To follow this journey on the page is worth the $5 for the ebook alone. But again, Adam is also a master teacher and coach-- patiently walking you through the steps to discover your own style, vision and goals as a musician. Honestly, some of this info may not be that important or meaningful to the casual guitarist who only occasionally picks up the instrument. But for anyone who cares deeply about music and is trying to get to the next level, I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2021 by Phillyson
Format: Kindle
This was a great read. ‘The inner game of fingerstyle guitar’ is one of those books of which I wish was available earlier during my journey as a musician. It would have cut my learning curve and prevented me adopting some bad habits as a guitarplayer. In short, the book offers the musical wisdom that fingerstyle guitarist and teacher Adam Rafferty, and his teacher Mike Longo, picked up on their respective journeys. The title might be somewhat of a misnomer since the material that is offered is valuable to any musician. I find this book to be unique since it addresses a lot of topics that are normally not touched upon by other authors, nor dealt with by the guitar teachers I had or at least not in great depth. To name a few of those topics: intuition, backwards goal planning, visualization, how to practice, overcoming practice ruts, touch, taste, counterpoint, and the ingredients of a great melody. Furthermore, the book deals with some widespread misconceptions regarding harmony, the study of chords, and playing with feeling. The book is also filled with a lot of liberating ideas that fundamentally changed some views I had about music. Although the title might suggest a somewhat academic book, it is easy to read and the heavier subjects (such as counterpoint) are explained very clearly and down to earth. However, at one point I feel the author might briefly lose some of his readers: The section of visualization (think of the book ‘The Secret’) might be a bit too ‘out there’ for some readers. I think the author does a great job explaining this method, approaching it in a more scientific way in comparison to other authors. Some readers, however, might see ‘visualization’ as the ‘study method’ of the instant-gratification-generation: Put whatever you want on your visionboard, lay back on your sofa with one eye focused on the board, and the other on your facebook likes, and let the ‘magic’ happen. Other than that the rest of the book is valuable to any guitarplayer or musician who is serious about their music and wants to continue to improve and learn. I highly recommend this one.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020 by Frank Stroobandt
Format: Kindle
I just finished Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar and felt quite satisfied and motivated. I came to the book looking for tips and pointers on playing better Fingerstyle guitar but was surprised with a deeper, philosophical and spiritual discussion instead. I found that deeply satisfying. Although I will most likely never play guitar in front of a large audience, the lessons on how to prepare for such a time will provide great help in other areas of my life. If you are looking for a great discussion on the mental aspect of playing guitar, or any instrument for that matter, this book is a must read.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024 by Dennis Perry
Format: Kindle
The author is an outstanding guitarist and wonderful educator, so I didn’t hesitate to get this book. However, truth be told, I didn’t expect to like it – I was afraid it would be like the “motivational speaker” snake oil salesman that I greatly dislike. I was very pleasantly surprised to find this book filled with excellent advice for any musician, not just fingerstyle guitarists (of which I’m one). Adam provides great advice and lessons learned from his journey to becoming a touring performer. He provides helpful examples that he learned from master musicians or, sometimes, from humbling experiences. I just finished it and plan to re-read it very soon, something I very rarely do. I highly recommend this book.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020 by N. J. Karin
Format: Paperback
I re-started my fingerstyle studying a couple of months ago and initially returned to the great tab books I have, the tabs I've gathered over the years. One day I came cross Adam and his website. I hesitated to sign up for his lessons as I feared that yet again I'd be enthusiastically laying out cash and later, when frustration and disappointment emerged, I'd just be upset with myself again. Similar to joining a health club on January 2nd. I did sign up and am very glad that I did. Is it perfect? No, but what is? The cool thing is that I see myself learning new and fun ways of playing songs that I have loved. That said, it's still easy to fall into the mind game trap and get stuck. I received Adam's book about a half hour ago and have already read the introduction and first chapter. It's terrific and I'm excited with the thought of slowly reading it in parallel with working on my study of Killing Me Softly (Roberta Flack, yeah!). Fun, fun, fun!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2020 by Emma G.